In its ritual context, Freemasonry employs an allegorical foundation myth: the foundation of the fraternity by the builders of King Solomon’s Temple. There are many questions surrounding the existence of Freemasonry in its personal connection with the Founding Fathers of our American Society. How did Freemasonry get it start? Who are the original Freemasons? What role does Freemasonry play in the American culture today?

Difference between White and African American Freemasons

The
difference between White and African American Freemasons

Conspiracy
theorists rarely, if ever, deal with a charge such as this. The 'Religious
Intolerant' though will find this convenient to use in an attempt to persuade
others that Freemasonry excludes Blacks while their own church may practice the
same type of discrimination they accuse Freemasons of doing.

However, the charge of racism in Freemasonry seems to come
primarily from the mouths and pens of the 'Self-Server' in the United States.
Here's why:

1)The United States began
as a segregated country. It was segregated at first by religious groups
(recall, for example, the founding of Rhode Island) and later - as religious
differences blended - by the introduction of slaves whom many treated as
'property'. This is a fact that many accepted. Others acquiesced or ignored it
completely (or as much as possible). A precious few spoke out against it - and
they were nearly universally condemned for doing so.

2)Masonry, like virtually
all other organizations of the 1700's and most of the 1800's in the United
States followed the mores of society.

3)Masonry today in the
United States can be seen through the eyes of two different independent
'controlling entities' (grand bodies) which are - primarily - divided along
racial lines.

In
the earliest days of the United States, white men and black men did not mix
socially - in any way. In fact, this continued through the 1960s with
segregation at virtually all levels of live.

A Masonic Lodge was chartered in Boston
under the direction of a Black man, Prince Hall, who had received his degrees
from a duly chartered military traveling lodge and who proceeded in accordance
with the custom of the day for forming lodges. While there was specific
prohibition against Blacks in Freemasonry then or now, there was a phrase in
the Masonic obligations that required a candidate to be "free-born".
This requirement harkened back to the days of apprenticeship where a new
apprentice was not accepted unless he was free from bondage. Regrettably, this
restriction - mirroring other such restrictions in society in the United States
at large - was used to restrict membership of Blacks.

In the days of Prince Hall and his
companions, even the act of mailing a simple letter to another town required
considerable wherewithal. During this period, the Lodge which Prince Hall had
formed in Boston ultimately lost their contacts with the Grand Lodge in England
from whom they were originally chartered.

Here we must digress for a moment to
explain that at this time, there were actually two Grand Lodges in
England. This had come about because certain innovations had begun to appear in
the development of Freemasonry and a group of 'traditionalists' calling
themselves (ironically) 'The Moderns' split from the former group (who came to
be known as 'The Antients'). In the early 1800s this rift was healed, however,
and when the two Grand Lodges united (forming today's United Grand Lodge of
England - UGLE), each dropped all of the lodges throughout the world with whom
they had lost contact. African Lodge #459 in Boston met this fate.

Nevertheless, African Lodge -
following ancient Masonic tradition - continued to make Masons and grow as an
organization. Soon there were two parallel organizations in existence but
because of complicated rules regarding recognition of other Masonic bodies, the
various lodges and Grand Lodges formed from that original lodge with Prince
Hall soon found themselves somewhat outside the larger body of Freemasonry.

The problem was further compounded by
- ironically - the growth of the United States from its colonial roots to the
broad expanse of territory from coast to coast. As new territories were
admitted into the Union, a concept of 'exclusive jurisdiction' peculiar to the
United States was adopted. This concept allowed for only one Grand Lodge within
the boundaries of a particular state's borders. Because of this, recognition of
Prince Hall Grand Lodges which were founded there was precluded since they were
always created after the 'mainstream' Grand Lodge and was not part of the
'covenant' which created the territorial exclusivity.

Freemasonry was separated by what
appeared to be clearly a racial divide. Although this was not the plan in the
1700s, the hardening of racial divisions leading up to the US Civil War made
the progression inevitable. Thus, arriving in the 1950s, a 'Black' and a
'White' Mason did not co-existed, both knowing the other existence. White
Masons did not recognize the Black Masons as a true "Masonic" body.

Being traditionalists, some
'mainstream' Masons reminded others of the 'free-born' requirement or pointed
to the loss of Charter and subsequent inappropriateness of creating new lodges
when not a lodge itself (in their eyes). Other Masons, however, saw a division
as plain as the color of their faces - and as a result, worked tirelessly to
remind Masons that the matter of a lost document in the early 1800s should not
be the cause of remaining at a perpetual distance - and that the concept of
territorial exclusivity, unique in the United States, should not interfere with
the sharing of Masonic fellowship. However, because each organization now had
over two hundred years of tradition, it was difficult to see how the bodies would
unite.

After considerable effort on the part
of some, recognition has occurred
beginning in the 1990s and the United Grand Lodge of England (recognized by all
Masonic bodies as the 'senior' grand lodge and thus due primacy in these
matters) restored recognition to the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of
Massachusetts in 1994. Within the week, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts had
extended similar recognition.

Now the details of such recognition
processes continue throughout the United States and the world and both parts of
Freemasonry are working more together as a team. A majority of 'mainstream'
Grand Lodges have recognized their Prince Hall counterparts. Some still remain
at a perpetual distance due to long-standing racism, fears, personality
conflicts, or procedural issues. Nevertheless, the direction of the movement is
clear and soon Prince Hall Freemasonry will fully and completely take its place
within the world-wide fraternity of Masons once again.

As we enter the 21st century, we
continue to see the charge of racism leveled against Freemasonry. Regrettably,
though, some Grand Lodges in the Southern United States have clung tenaciously
to their segregated ways thus exposing the racism charge further. Some believe
that this is a temporary situation and within the next few years will be
resolved. Freemasonry is, if nothing else, an organization that places great
weight upon tradition. Couple this with a section of the country which does
likewise (and is often very reluctant to change, regardless of the reason) and
we see 4/5ths of the U.S. accepting Prince Hall while the remainders drag their
heels.

In light of the above discussion, a
non-Mason might well wonder why Prince Hall and 'mainstream' Freemasonry in the
United States don't simply join their lodges together and eliminate any issue
years and years ago. The answer has a lot to do with race, but is wrapped up in
the rich heritage each Grand Lodge now has. With some recognition, the bodies
can and will work together yet retain their history and culture. Those choosing
to join Freemasonry will do so in lodges where their ancestors did. This will
allow the traditions and histories will weave into the fabric of their lives. Some
think joining together risks the loss of their tradition in future generations
and thus it is unlikely at this time that any such joining would ever be
contemplated. Perhaps in centuries to come things will be different but for
now, Grand Lodges are pleased to share fellowship and fraternalism while
maintaining their independence and historical lineage.

7 comments:

Bro. Brinson, I am pleased to make your aquaintance. My name is Bro. Ralph F. Weathers. I am a Master Mason in good standing with Doric Lodge #92 in Seattle, WA. I am the installed Senior Warden and this Fall I am scheduled to be installed as the first Black American Worshipful Master in my Lodge's history since it was founded in 1892. I have viewed your Blog and am thrilled with the historical education and comments about Freemasonry! It was extremely informative and a pleasure to read. Keep up the great work! Fraternally Yours, Bro. Ralph F. Weathers noblemason.com

First, thank you for the compliments on the blog I set up on Freemasonry. It is my intention to enlighten as many minds as I can (with the help of God), to show what true Masonry is all about in our Jurisdictions. And I am overjoyed to hear of your historical installation in the future, as a Worshipful Master in your Lodge in the great state of Washington. It is with great honor that I welcome you into this fraternity of Elected Officials, and I know with even greater honor, you will do an outstanding job in representing Doric Lodge #92. I look forward to meeting you one day on our travels. So until that time, travel light and see you soon.

I am very pleased to be in contact with you. I was curious, is Sir E. Elijah Brinson a relative of yours? Many Brothers have proud Masonic histories in their family’s past. I am descended from Texas Prince Hall Masons. The connection to the past is an exhilarating one and one worthy to be remembered!

As I go forward in my Lodge to participate in the next EA Degree I am mindful of the fact that we have a Black American candidate and a White American candidate entering the Fraternity as Brothers. I have participated in every single degree that my Lodge has put on since 2007. It never loses it’s significance. I am hoping that I will be assigned to help teach these Brothers how one becomes a Freemason both in mind and spirit. I love to see the signs of recognition of what being a True Man of vision and honor is like. In a perfect world, all Masons would be Brothers. I hope to contribute to making that happen in the future. After all, it’s the right thing to do!

Stay in touch. I invite you to view my blog at www.noblemason.com and I wish you continued success in your endeavors there in North Carolina. Keep up the great work!

Great article - very interesting, informative and well written. I've only had the pleasure of sitting in a Prince Hall lodge twice, but both times have been great experiences. Their ritual is the best in Massachusetts and our "traditional" Masonic lodges would all do well to observe them. The Grand Officers also do a very impressive, moving ceremony annually at the gravestone of Prince Hall in Boston. I highly suggest you visit if you've never observed it.

I've often been asked the question of why there is a "black Grand Lodge" in Massachusetts, in addition to the original Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, and I've only been able to give a bare-bones (though accurate) answer. Your article gave me the missing pieces to explain this much better.

Hello My Name is Derrick Dilworth I am From East Texas and I have Been doing a Lot of Research on Becoming a Mason . I had a lot of Freemason in My Family that's has In lighted my Heart about this Great Organization but all the older Generations of Men or Gone Home to Glory . I am searching for the Light With a Humble Heart and Soul ddilworth78@gmail.com my Email

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About Me

My name is Edward Elijah Brinson. I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My family relocated to Flint, Michigan in 1973 where I attended Flint Beecher High School.
In 1976, I moved to Detroit, Michigan where I attended Detroit Pershing High School and graduated in 1978.
I continued my education at Northern Michigan University where I played college football as a Safety.
In 1979, I joined the United States Marine Corps, and served as a Marine Scout Sniper until 1983. I joined the United States Army in 1985, and served in the elite special operations unit known as Special Forces (Green Berets). I retired from the United States Army in 2008, and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.
I have an Associate’s Degree from Davenport University with a major in Business Management which I received in 2004.
In 2010 I enrolled in classes at The University of North Carolina – Charlotte, in pursuit of my bachelor’s degree.
I am currently a junior studying Software and Information Systems as my major and Operations Management as my minor.

History

History of the Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a spiritual and fraternal society that uses an initiatory system of degrees to explore ethical and philosophical issues. It views itself not as a secret society but as a society with secrets. The Masonic Order has roots from antiquity. Members of the Order are joined together by shared ideals of both a moral and metaphysical nature and by a common belief in a Supreme Being (the Great Architect of the Universe).
In this blog, we will explore the many facets of Freemasonry and its continuous effort to show the world that it is more than just a society of men, whose only concern is for themselves. But to explain the misunderstood thinking process of those individuals who see Freemasonry as a social club of Gentlemen misfits. Freemasonry played a major role in the founding of the United States, with many Founding Fathers being Freemasons, including such notables as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. The cornerstone to the U.S. Capitol was laid by Washington in a Masonic ceremony. And with this foundation, Freemasons have developed into one of the largest fraternal organizations in the world.
In my blog, I have touched a few topics that will stir the imaginations of many people who have a strong interest in understand what Freemasonry is. My first page starts off with the History of Freemasonry and the signs and symbols that are associated with it. Next, I listed famous Freemasons in history, who have been very instrumental in the growth of this country, and other members who have gained recognition through other professional endeavors. After this, I touched on a few historical facts about the origin of Freemasonry and the different Masonic Lodges that are located around the world. Next, I talked about the misunderstanding of Freemasons and the Illuminati. I mentioned in the next segment of my blog the differences between white and African American Freemasons, and the division that exist between them for many years. I briefly talked about the History of the Masonic Grand Lodges in North America, and if a person was interested in joining the Freemasons, how to go about do so. The last few topics I mentioned were, debates over how to wear Masonic jewelry and emblems, Freemasonry in the community, and last, the end of Freemasonry.
I hope with this blog, I will explain to others the true facts about Freemasonry, and bring forth a better understanding of how Freemasons and their Lodges are doing great things in their communities with the many charitable organizations that they support.